Former Sooner running back Mike Gaddis dies

Aug. 13--Mike Gaddis, an OU tailback star both before and after a devastating knee injury, died Monday at age 50.

Gaddis, who suffered from kidney disease most of his adult life, underwent a 2005 kidney transplant, with his brother, Brent, as donor.

Gaddis, from Carl Albert High School, was recruited by Barry Switzer and played halfback in Switzer's final season as a head coach. Switzer has called Gaddis, Marcus Dupree and Billy Sims the best running backs he ever recruited. Long-time Switzer assistant coach Bobby Proctor spent the night before signing day on Gaddis' couch in Midwest City.

Gaddis redshirted in 1987, then as a freshman in 1988 rushed for 553 yards on 92 carries, including a monster 274-yard game in OU's 31-28 Bedlam victory in Stillwater,

in which eventual Heisman Trophy runner Barry Sanders rushed for 215 yards. It was one of the best individual duels in Sooner history.

In 1989, Gaddis was off to a spectacular start, rushing for 699 yards through five games. Then Gaddis rushed for 130 yards on 14 carries against Texas, but he crumbled to the Cotton Bowl turf in the third quarter of that game with a major knee injury. Gaddis would miss all of that season and all of the 1990 season.

Gaddis returned in 1991 and became a workhorse tailback, rushing for 1,344 yards and 17 touchdowns. Even now, Gaddis ranks 14th on OU's all-time rushing list, with 2,622 yards.

Gaddis was a sixth-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 1992 but did not make the team. He went into the insurance business and had a Farmers agency in the Oklahoma City metro.

Gaddis has the OU record for most yards against a particular opponent, gaining 690 yards on 82 carries.

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